The Ferry House

With well-conceived and fun food, this Princeton fixture (formerly of Lambertville) has won the hearts of many with a utopia of new American cuisine.

By: Antoinette Buckley

   I barely remember the days when The Ferry House was tucked away on a side street in Lambertville. It relocated to Princeton in 1998, and now it’s hard to picture Princeton’s downtown without it.
   My first visit to The Ferry House was a few short months after it opened its Princeton doors. Since then, I’ve been keeping my ears perked, monitoring friends’ mostly enthusiastic reports. Three years later, I am privileged to have the rare opportunity to re-visit as a reviewer. My, how it’s grown.
   The front of the house has gained in confidence, with a direct approach to hosting that can come off as a bit abrupt. The restaurant runs like a well-oiled machine: Water glasses are filled frequently; wine brought by customers is handled professionally; and courses are well timed. The stilted service of its first few months has blossomed, becoming more relaxed and self-assured.
   The Ferry House has grown quite comfortable with itself. That is not to imply it is too big for its britches. The level-headed prices can attest to that. The atmosphere remains intimate, inviting and understated, yielding to the restaurant’s most outstanding feature — the food.
   Owner and head chef Bobby Trigg is formally trained in French cooking, with an impressive career behind and in front of him. He creates seasonal menus interpreting the foods and ingredients of many nations, including France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Thailand, China and Japan. It all comes together to form a utopia of American cuisine.
   Mr. Trigg doesn’t cook a meal; he builds a plate. His style is marked by layers of diverse flavors that culminate in a well-orchestrated bite. Presentations are eye-opening and flavors seem to float.
   With the help of an excellent supplier, Nassau Street Seafood, Mr. Trigg prepares the most delicious seafood. Raw oysters can always be found on the menu with inspiring drizzles. Tuna, cooked to a melt-in-your-mouth rare, is a permanent fixture on the specials menu. Wild mushrooms are found in every nook and cranny of the menu, and Mr. Trigg seems particularly fond of mashed potatoes — they accompany many dishes in various forms.
   Over the years, it has been the New Zealand rack of lamb (a reasonable $28) that received the most praise by critics and diners. Indeed, the mustard-basil-crusted lamb with a sophisticated au jus was generously portioned, beyond tender, and simply divine. Sprouting from a classic mashed potato accompaniment were two unconventional "tortillas," filled with a lovely black bean and sweet potato combination.
   Mr. Trigg’s soups are often whimsical inspirations that use seasonal ingredients and unlikely combinations. The silky shrimp and summer vegetable bisque ($9) of the evening balanced a little spice with the sweetness of fresh tomatoes while keeping the distinct flavor of shrimp in the forefront.
   The crab cake ($13) was elevated on top of a foundation beginning with brilliantly colored orange and green sauces (pepper and wasabi) that zigzagged the bottom of the plate. On top of that was a beautifully red and silky tuna tartare. And on top of that sat a crispy, wonton noodle. Watercress rested lazily on the wonton, and finally, crowning it all, a marvelous pudgy crab cake.
   Among a list of signature dishes is the Crab Margarita ($15) appetizer. It is festively served in a Margarita glass and is described as lump crab meat marinated in Margarita mix, set atop of guacamole and garnished with a spicy salt rub. When it arrives, two Chinese noodles are braced in the crab meat and curiously stick out of the glass. Frankly, it sounds weird, but it was actually quite stunning all around.
   It seemed impossible that the kind of delight we took from our appetizers could be sustained in our entrées. In fact, we took even more pleasure in our main course. The swordfish of the evening ($32) was exceptionally moist and flavorful. It was set again on top of layer after layer of wonderful little delights including pesto mashed potatoes, crab ratatouille and pencil-thin asparagus, all set in a garlic cream sauce.
   Equally as vibrant was the spicy Cajun Sea Bass ($25) set on top of chipotle mashed potatoes, placed in the center of the plate with a harem of mussels and crawfish in and around it. A creamy fire-roasted tomato and crawfish butter sauce combined the spicy seasonings of the dish with the quieting properties of sweet, fresh tomatoes creating the perfect balance of flavors.
   The real beauty of dishes like these is the experience you get once you’re about halfway through. It’s almost as if you’re eating a different meal after all its parts have the opportunity to meld together. This was most true perhaps of the barbecued shrimp and seared sea scallops ($32) served with chipotle mashed potatoes that I found too spicy. The mashed potatoes covered a carefully matched sweet, toasted corn cake (called arepas) that offset the heat. This was all set in a lovely, though not particularly dynamic, Jersey corn saffron broth. It was by far the most mediocre of our dishes, yet, as the dish began to come together I found myself enjoying it more and more.
   Homemade desserts ($7) are more simply designed than the food. Fruit cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream and cheesecake with berries were just enough to top off the meal. The pecan tartlet with lots of nuts and little sweetness came off as lifeless. The real star is the house specialty, crème brulee, with a luscious interior and delicate caramelized sugar top. The quirky 50-calorie chocolate tofu dessert also comes with a good reputation, but you have to get past the tofu and cous cous with which it is made.
   Mr. Trigg is committed to the town, his customers, a capable staff and creating fun, well-conceived food. The Ferry House has won the hearts of so many — including me.
For directions to The Ferry House, click here.